Snapshots
by Ruthlyn
Summary: A series of one shots & drabbles about the main characters in the Merchant's Dream series, plus a few other random people. More details inside.
1. Sigh & Silence

_A/N: More detailed information about this series of blurbs is in my profile. Here I'll just say that it started as a writing challenge (those are the ones with prompts), and now will just be a place to put drabbles or short one-shots that relate (or heck, even don't relate) to my other stories, but don't rate their own "thread__."_

_Thanks for reading, and reviews are always welcome. Now for the first prompts (these take place a few days before _Disconnected_ starts):

* * *

_

**August 9  
Sigh**

The old pharmacist sighed. Why did she persist in this? She could get him into trouble. Or herself.

But then again, they only told him not to share the knowledge. They said nothing of sharing who had _taught_ him that knowledge. She was the first person that he knew of who had ever attempted to make their own potions and survived with the results. He looked at her more closely. She seemed smart enough, sturdy, and was definitely stubborn.

He caught a look from that boy that she'd brought. His eyes were narrowed as if he thought the pharmacist had some sort of ill intentions. The nerve.

"Missy Kay, do not believe for a moment that a few poorly made potions qualify you for this education."

"Maybe not," she replied. "But isn't that the point? I'm not asking to be taught to make, I don't know, acid bombs or something. I just want to learn to do what you do."

He shook his head. "It's not as simple as that."

"You said that before. It could lead to more dangerous, complicated formulas, I know."

The boy sighed. "Come on, Missy, this is a waste of time. Let's just go."

"Who are you? Why are you even here?" The pharmacist snapped.

He had always liked Missy. She was polite, respectful, and always offered to pay him his usual fee, though he never let her. This boy didn't really fit with that.

"Whoa, sorry, Gramps. I didn't mean anything by it."

"Naolin!" Missy whispered.

"What?" he responded in a whisper as well. "That's what you call him."

"No, it's 'Grampa', and you made it sound derogatory anyway. Look, just…wait outside, okay?"

To the pharmacist's surprise, the boy did as she requested, with barely a sound. When he was gone, Missy turned back to him, and he knew exactly what she was going to say. And he knew he was going to say yes, because when she looked at him with those hazel eyes, he would remember his daughter. His little girl who used to be friends with Missy's mother. The girl he lost years ago.

The alchemists would be upset with him.

* * *

**August 10  
****Silence**

Naolin was a little confused. The old pharmacist had given Missy exactly what she wanted. Or at least told her where to go to find it. So why weren't they going to Al de Baran?

Perhaps she'd only been so willing to pester "Grampa" about the potions because she'd known him so long, but when it came to these strangers, she couldn't bring herself to approach them. Or maybe now that the door had finally been opened to her, she was simply afraid to walk through it.

Either way, her silence was beginning to annoy him. He had found that talkative people were always more trouble than the time spent listening to them was worth. But he'd always enjoyed the conversations he'd had with Missy, even though they were mostly initiated by her. It was how he'd gotten to know her over time.

There was a time when he would have preferred this. To be left alone inside his own mind, not having to feign interest in the silly lives of others. But looking back on the time he spent alone, compared to his time with Missy, he wouldn't go back to that now for anything.

They'd spent the day training – another avoidance technique, he knew. He didn't really care if she wanted to pretend to ignore what she really wanted to do, but Missy was the one person he wouldn't rather be silent with him. The longer it went on, the more it distracted him.


	2. South & Stop

**August 11  
South**

They were heading further south, if that was even possible. No sooner would one scorpion die, then Missy would be rushing off to swing her tsurugi at something else. Naolin wondered if the direction in which she was moving was intentional.

But it was, of course. Missy had rarely fought so vehemently in her life. And certainly never without a compelling reason, usually involving the threat of imminent death. But today, she had only one thing on her mind: avoiding what awaited her to the north.

She didn't know why it bothered her so much, but--

"_Bothered_"…that wasn't the right word. "Terrified"…no, that didn't seem right either. She mostly just felt very agitated, and couldn't stop moving, attacking…running. As she withdrew the icy blade from the skull of yet another desert wolf, she glanced back at Naolin.

His eyes hadn't met hers all day, and he seemed more sullen than what might be considered normal even for him. This time, she paused before moving on, watching his face for any hint of communication. She found none.

He strode past her silently, and rushed toward a metaller that had just stopped hopping long enough to pick up a wolf claw. It seemed to Missy that his swings had a little more aggression behind them than usual. She helped him swiftly cut down the overgrown insect, and watched as it was he, this time, who moved immediately toward another creature to kill.

She opened her mouth to speak, but didn't know what she would even say. So the silence persisted, and they continued heading south.

* * *

**August 12  
Stop**

Missy wanted to kick herself. She'd let how many days go by now? While she ignored the pressing thoughts about where she should be heading, and while Naolin seemed to slip further into a funk that she couldn't help but feel responsible for.

It had meant so much to her that he'd once trusted her enough to share his pain with her. Now here she was, shutting him out. Playing the part of the distant, closed-off friend, and it didn't suit her.

As soon as they finished breakfast, she took a deep breath and hoped he didn't already hate her.

"Naolin," she started, running her hand through her white hair nervously. She still didn't know what to say. Maybe she should have planned something out before speaking. Now he was staring at her, expecting her to continue. He looked irritated, which seemed about right. She almost wished he would just yell at her and get it over with. Since when did he avoid confrontations?

In a pathetic effort to stall, Missy stood up and walked to the edge of the old, crumbling foundation they had camped on, deep in the Sograt Desert. She let all of her thoughts swarm around in her head until one finally broke free from the rest.

"I don't want to be a blacksmith," she blurted out.

A puzzled look crossed his face, but he recovered quickly. "That's good, because you'd make a lousy blacksmith," he replied.

Though she wasn't entirely sure how to take that, she couldn't stop the smile that formed on her lips for only a second. "What?"

"Brute force, not really your thing. Your strength is more subtle."

She looked down at the ground, still trying to decide what to make of his words, and suddenly he was next to her.

"What's this about? I thought you decided against that job a while ago."

She sighed, frustrated at the tears she felt threatening to fill her eyes. "So did I. But if I go to Al de Baran and talk to those alchemists, and if I request training…"

She couldn't finish, so Naolin continued for her. "You'll be making it official, that you won't become a blacksmith like your father wanted you to."

She nodded silently.

"Then maybe you should make it official." He waited for a few silent moments, then expounded. "It's been almost seven months; the only reason you haven't started looking for his replacement is because you're beating yourself up over the fact that it's not you. Which is pointless."

Those last words held a bit of spite. Missy was surprised, and finally looked up at him to see that he looked only slightly less annoyed than before, but his words bore a lot of aggravation now.

"I know you, Missy. You'll never become a forging blacksmith, but at this rate, you'll never become anything else either. The only thing left is to mope around until you're too old for any class guild to even want to look at you."

She was stunned. She wasn't on the other end of his insensitive words very often, and it really stung to be there now. She couldn't bear to stand here with him glaring at her anymore. She moved past him and started gathering up her things, getting ready to head out. Where she was planning to go, and whether or not Naolin would follow, she had no idea. But she had to start moving again.

As soon as she had her cart packed up, she stood and looked around her. At this point, she mostly wanted to go home and hide in her room. But her mom would want to know what was wrong. She saw another wolf in the distance, and drew her sword.

"Missy," Naolin called from behind her, letting out a short, angry sigh.

She ignored him.

"Missy, stop!" He stepped over to her in a rush, and reached to grab her arm, but pulled back just before.

She stopped, but didn't turn.

"We both know that alchemy is perfect for you. And if you can get over yourself, you might just avoid missing out on that. But you can't face that future until you can face your father."

The fact was, his words hurt, but it's not like they didn't have some truth in them. But a mixture of pride and panic kept her from admitting that to him.

He continued, "And if you want to hate me, that's fine. You wouldn't be the first." He turned his back to her now, and knelt down to pick up his armor, also attaching his sword back to his side.

Missy waited until he straightened back up before saying, "I don't hate you. I do hate myself though, if that helps any."

He tilted his head at her and furrowed his brow. "Why would that help?"

"I don't know," she replied with an awkward chuckle. "My own moodiness is starting to tick me off."

"I know the feeling," he agreed, all too easily.

"But I feel like I'm so far away now, that I can't go back. I don't know how to fix this."

Standing next to her again, he placed his hand on her arm, guiding her hand to sheath the sword. "For starters, you stop running."


	3. Argument & Separation

**August 13  
Argument**

Outside of the blacksmith guild building in Geffen, Missy Kay's pulse was pounding. Next to her, Naolin's face was beet red.

"Just what was that supposed to accomplish?" she managed to squeak out.

"What? You wanted me to let them insult you?" He was clearly angry, and Missy knew it was taking a lot of resolve not to storm back in there.

"I should have told him what I was here for sooner," she suggested.

"He didn't give you a chance!"

A few minutes previous, Missy and Naolin had walked into the blacksmith guild with the intent of requesting their help. Missy had finally decided it was time to start on her father's wishes. And she figured that the guild here could supply her with some help, since they'd know better what kind of person she might be after.

Unfortunately, the man at the counter had taken one look at her, and gotten the wrong idea. Perhaps "insult" was the wrong word exactly, but he had belittled her, telling her how she wouldn't make a very good blacksmith.

"I can tell by looking at you," he'd said. "You're too scrawny, too short, you'd never be able to swing that hammer properly. You probably don't even know the first thing about a forge and anvil."

She'd been taken aback. Naolin, however, had acted as though he was the one who'd been affronted. He'd bitten back, which had only made the man that much more rude. In the end, the argument had led to the both of them being asked to leave, in no polite terms.

"I appreciate what you did, really, but…" She tried to find a way to say it nicely. "I really do need their help, so I have to go back in there. And you should probably stay out here."

Naolin laughed, loud and hard. She frowned.

"Go ahead, I understand," he finally said, trying to keep a straight face. "Sorry if I caused too much of a problem."

She took a deep breath and nervously smoothed her white hair, steeling herself for the reaction she expected when the man saw her coming back in. When he opened his mouth to say something though, she decided to take a page out of Naolin's book.

"Don't speak, just listen," she said in as commanding tone as she could muster.

Amazingly, the man closed his mouth.

"As I tried to tell you before, I am Missy Kay, daughter of master smith Bramen."

The man raised his eyebrows.

"Oh, I thought you might recognize that name. Now, I am here because I have something to offer one of your guild members, and I need your help." By now, Missy was shaking a little, and her heart was once again racing, but it did the trick.

After apologizing, the blacksmith was more than willing to work with her. She made a mental note to thank Naolin later.

* * *

**August 14  
Separation**

"_I should definitely still be in Geffen by then. I have a feeling I'll be here for a while. I'll see you in a few days."_

Missy glanced at the list the blacksmith guild had composed for her and groaned. Maybe she'd get lucky and one of the first interviewees would just be perfect.

Turning back to the letter she was writing, she finished it up and signed her name. Before she folded it, Naolin came and sat down next to her. he could only have gotten a small glimpse of the writing, but it was enough.

"Blackthore?! You're inviting him here? Why?"

Missy was caught between a frustrated sigh and an amused chuckle. "I told you about our agreement."

She had, and he'd been no less thrilled to hear it then.

* * *

_"We promised that we would make plans to see each other more often. It shouldn't take something so horrible to give two friends a reason to catch up."_

_"You really consider that guy your friend?"_

_She looked at him as if he'd insulted her. "Naolin, there's nothing wrong with Blackthore."_

_He snorted at that. "He's pushy and rude."_

_"No more than you are," Missy retorted. "And he's only really like that with you. You seem to bring out the worst in each other."_

* * *

The swordsman crossed his arms. "So he's coming to Geffen then?"

Missy nodded as she prepared the letter for mailing.

"You're purposely putting him in the same town with me?"

Missy gave Naolin a patient look one might reserve for a child. "You and I, we're not exactly attached at the hip, you know. He'll be here for one day – a few hours even. I'm in Geffen for my own reason. You don't have to stick around if you don't want. In fact, Blackthore's visit aside, this interviewing process will be very tedious. Feel free to find something else to do."

He gave that some thought, and realized she was right. "I think I'll head to Prontera actually. There's something I want to look up anyway. If you need anything," he pointed to his com-disc to finish the thought, and then left.


	4. Waiting & Watch

_A/N: The first prompt here takes place at the very beginning of _Disconnected_, and the second lines up with a scene in chapter 2._

* * *

**August 15  
Waiting**

Geffen really was a boring town. Boring and gray. And full of magic-types, which was another bad mark in Naolin's book.

He was sitting next to the fountain in the center of southern Geffen, and he was waiting. Missy wasn't late, though. The truth was, he should have been here sooner himself. He'd told her he'd be back in the afternoon. Now it was practically evening, and he's just arrived from Prontera.

He was actually relieved to see that she hadn't sat around waiting for him to come. She really had been right yesterday. They weren't attached by any meaning of the word, and yet, it was so natural for them to do everything together.

Sure they'd spent time apart in the past, but this time it had felt like a more complete, purposeful separation. He had noticed something in the last twenty-four hours. Somewhere along the way, he felt like he'd lost himself. Softened up a bit, become someone he wasn't, just so that the merchant could get along with him better.

Had he done it on purpose? Definitely not. Was the change for the better? That remained to be seen, but he couldn't imagine how it would be. Was he going to do something about it? Hell yeah.

A bit of solo training was just what he needed right now. Good old-fashioned face beating and ass kicking. Killing just for the sake of killing. And maybe for an emperium. She'd be busy for a few days here in mage-land, so he could go smash some orcs mindlessly.

Here came Missy now, with… _Is that Beanbag with her? Oh, she looks pissed. I hope the alchemists didn't turn her down._

* * *

**August 16  
Watch**

"So who do you think he's talking to?"

"Probably a girl."

"You think?"

"Sure, a boy as cute as that?"

"I don't know, he doesn't seem like a very sociable type. I don't really see him having a girlfriend."

They were both silent for a few minutes, and Naolin continued talking to himself. "And don't think for a moment that you should settle with anyone you're not comfortable with, just because you're worried that you'll never find the right person for the job. Just remember that there's no rush."

"I wonder if we should be just sitting here listening to him," Selunya pondered. "I get the distinct feeling that we're eavesdropping."

Aeldrim ignored her statement. "You really think he's cute?" he looked at Selunya with a disappointed frown.

"Yep," she affirmed, keeping a straight face.

Aeldrim grunted, and turned back toward the swordsman. "You know, maybe you're right. I mean, a guy doesn't smile like that for just anyone." 

As they kept watching, the swordsman chuckled. "I promise, after I get my emperium, no more fun unless you're with me."

Aeldrim and Selunya glanced at each other and agreed, "It's a girl."

Naolin stood up then and dropped something on the ground. The poring at his feet swallowed whatever it was up quickly. When he glanced over at them, Selunya looked away, blushing and hoping they didn't look too obvious. Aeldrim just looked up at Naolin with an amused grin.

"What?" he asked them.

"We were just enjoying watching you talk to yourself," Selunya said.


	5. Understanding & Antidote

_A/N: This prompt lines up with chapter 5 of _Disconnected_. I just had to use Aeldrim and Selunya again...I love them so much, and I doubt they'll have a role anywhere else in the series. But that's the fun thing about this challenge._**  
**

**August 17**  
**Understanding**_  
_

After Missy stepped through the portal, Selunya gave Aeldrim an understanding look. "I told you it was a girl."

"You were right. And what a pretty girl she was."

The priestess rolled her eyes. "I'm so sorry I ever said anything." Then, she shifted the subject a bit. "Do you think he's okay?"

"Oh, sure," Aeldrim responded dismissively. "He's probably waiting in Geffen, tapping his foot in impatience."

"Yeah," Selunya agreed half-heartedly. She'd only just met the boy, so it was hard to tell, but something had seemed a little off about him.

* * *

_A/N: This prompt takes place basically between chapter 9 and the epilogue. It gives you a good glimpse right off the bat at how different Drear is from his brother._

**August 18  
****Antidote**

Back in his room, Drear thought about the merchant. His brother's savior. She had risked so much to create the antidote. They'd been friends for a few years, she'd said. But there had to be more than that.

He'd caught the look. When Naolin explained that in his paranoid, delusional state, he went to the home he'd been expelled from years ago because he held onto the hope that someone important would be there. He'd glanced over at Missy. She was important to him.

Drear was almost jealous. But then, Missy had a bit of an advantage in his brother's life. Drear may have known Naolin for nine years, but that was almost eight years ago. Clearly, much had happened to change him in that time.

At this point, Drear was just happy that Naolin didn't hate him. Fortunately, Missy and her antidote had given him a chance to be friends with his brother once again.


	6. 5 Things Exercise, No Prompts

**5 things Naolin associates with Missy **(suggested by TenshiNoAkuma)

**1.** Naolin wasn't usually one for self-reflection, or quiet thinking, so the times he would go sit on that bench had nothing to do with any of that. Overall, he had no real reason for spending his time there, other than that it was quieter in Izlude than Prontera, and the bench faced the ocean, not the people. Mostly, when he stared out at the endless water and watched the waves lazily lapping at the rocks below his feet, what few thoughts he had were of that white-haired merchant. She'd introduced him to the ocean, years ago, and she understood the draw.

**2.** _It is amazing how many of these merchants in Archer Village are wearing Puppy Loves. Oh look, she even has white hair... Nope, still not the same._

**3.** During his time in the Orc Dungeon, Naolin realized something. He was spoiled. He didn't plan ahead, didn't bring any food whatsoever. He was just so used to Missy having food in her cart. She was always so prepared. He chastised himself for becoming so dependent on someone.

**4. **Despite how much he hated the man, he knew Missy had saved Evan's life once. And Julius had suggested that the knight might have altered his treatment of them because of that. So now that he was going to have to work with the man again, he tried to forget about the past and let Evan prove himself to be different. Unfortunately, even owing his life to a "little girl" didn't seem to have any effect on his pea-sized brain. Naolin was just glad Missy wasn't here for this.

**5.** There were many mornings when Naolin woke up to sunlight streaming through his eyelids, prodding him awake. After a particularly long or dark, starless night, those mornings were refreshing. He wondered if the memory of the darkness would ever begin to fade from his mind. In the meantime, it helped to remember that she had been right there with him when he did wake up. She wouldn't leave him in the dark.

* * *

**5 reasons why Alorinna would stay with Jameth **(suggested by TenshiNoAkuma)

_A/N: A bit of a stretch for this one, and number 5 really just sums it up. But asking for reasons why she _would_ stay with him suggests that she'd have any reasons not to. Not really an issue in this relationship. I don't like the result, but here it is anyway. XD_

**1.** Alorinna had a big family, five brothers and sisters, all of whom were older than she. She loved her family, but it was easy to get lost in the crowd. When she went to visit Jameth's family with him, they always made her feel special. When they told his mother they were engaged, she cried and hugged Alorinna so hard. She said she'd always wanted a daughter, and she couldn't ask for a better one.

** 2.** Alorinna didn't think very often about having children. Not since her husband and baby died. It wasn't because she didn't still want children someday. But the thought of it was just too painful. The more she fell in love with Jameth, the thought started to make its way back into her brain, but she still refused to give it any conscious thought. At least, not until he brought it up. He told her that he knew she wanted children. He could tell by how she acted around her nieces and nephews. He knew her heart was aching for a baby of her own, and that he'd love to give her one. And she suddenly wanted nothing more badly.

** 3.** He never pushed. Ever. Even after he told her he loved her, they dated for months before she ever told him the same. But he never pushed, and never questioned why she didn't reply.

** 4.** He saved her life. Not in the way one might think, though. No, he didn't stop some creature from killing her, or find her half dead and heroically carry her to a priest to be healed. But if it hadn't been for him, she would have spent another year in the Zenhai Marsh, hunting a mutant dragon that had already been killed. More than likely, she would have lost her life to that quest.

** 5.** Quite simply, she loves him.


	7. More 5 Things, No Prompts

**5 times Rusalki wanted to kill someone but didn't** (suggested by TenshiNoAkuma)  
_(Rusalki is a character in Outcast, which has not been finished, much less posted. But I thought I'd throw this up here anyway. After this, it's back to the prompts. Actually, I plan to start work on _Reality Dawns_ again soon.)_

**1.** Rusalki trudged through the forest, taking her aggression out on the foliage that caressed her face as she passed. This was the worse mission ever. She didn't care how good the pay was, the Class of Morano should not be accepting babysitting jobs. And even if they did, how dare Rais send her on one. She had a special assignment in that guild; he was the one who had groomed her for the role. And now he had her traipsing through the woods with some lightweight acolyte. To make matters worse, the boy never shut up!

"I just hope you're as good as my father said you are. I've really never even heard of your guild, so I have a hard time believing that my life is safe in your hands. It is very important that I reach my destination, you know. The party simply cannot go on without me."

On and on he prattled about his amazing skills and her guild's anonymity.

_There's a reason you've not heard of us_, she thought irately. _Most who hear our name or see our works do not repeat the story. As you will soon find out._ She would tell Rais that the Orc Lord surprised them, killed the boy. He would at least be pleased that his daughter, one of the guild's best assassins, survived the attack.

She smoothly slid her katars out of their sheaths, then spun around to face the acolyte. His face registered the shock she'd wanted to give, but what was behind him ruined her fun. A high orc stood with its axe raised above the boy's head.

Rusalki sighed inwardly as she shoved the boy out of the way, perhaps a little more violently than necessary, and released her rage on the orc.

**2.** The assassin stormed into the guild headquarters, ignoring shouts for her to stop. When she was just outside Rais's door, one man stood in her way.

"Drune."

"Rusalki," the oaf said, holding his arms out to stop her.

If he touched her, she'd cut off his hands.

"I'm sorry," the knight continued, "but he's busy. He doesn't want to be disturbed."

"That doesn't include me."

"That includes everyone."

"Drune, I need to see my father, and I can guarantee you that _nothing_ will keep me from getting in there right now."

He reached for the hilt of his sword as a warning. Rusalki was so hoping he'd do that. The metallic ring of her katars resonated in the hallway as she stepped closer to Drune. Before she had a chance to follow through, the door behind him opened. A lanky, dark-haired assassin stood in the doorway.

"Is there a problem out here?" he asked calmly.

"Sir, _your daughter_ would like a word with you," Drune answered him without a pause.

Rais looked at her standing there with weapons drawn, then stepped aside to let her in.

"Rusalki, what did I say about terrorizing my bodyguards? I don't need the two of you killing each other."

**3.** Within the walls of her own guild campus, she waited for her mark. Another would-be assassin, another test. She did her job well, and was rarely wrong.

As she watched, hidden from view, for today's subject to approach his house, though, someone else caught her attention.

_Acronis._

Only a few days ago she had put him through the same test. He'd fought well enough, and she'd given him a pass. But he'd turned out to be one of her few, and worst mistakes. He failed his very first mission. Not only was that an embarrassment to the guild, and to her personally, but his mark was still alive. To make matters worse, his mark was Natos, who had since disappeared!

Rusalki knew Rais would not be very cross with her for correcting her mistake. She slowly made her way toward the assassin, breathing heavily in anticipation of this particular kill.

A noise further behind her caused her to divert her attention, and she swore under her breath as she saw her original mark heading the opposite direction.

Rais might not expel her for killing Acronis, but he'd be pissed if she didn't perform her test tonight. Acronis got a pass…again.

**4.** _Number four will not be appearing here, because the author has deemed it to be far too big of a spoiler. Very sorry._

**5.** The wizard would pay for what he did to her! He would die swiftly. But the priestess…the priestess would suffer.

Rusalki had taken a wizard of her own, one of the few in the guild, to approach Alexander, the rogue wizard who was said to have immense power. He would join the Class of Morano; she would have it no other way.

When they found him near Amatsu, they showed him they meant no harm as they approached, and Rusalki told him why they'd come. But he'd spat in her face, told her he'd never join a guild of murderers run by a ghoul. That last part hurt a little.

"Kill him," she hissed. At least she'd get a chance to see if the rumors were true before Alexander died.

Before her wizard could charge up a cast, Alexander threw a spell of his own at him. The man next to her disappeared, and in his place was a poring, wandering around aimlessly.

Rusalki's eyes flashed at the same time as her katars, but before she could turn the sharpened blades onto the wizard, she was immobilized.

She hadn't even seen the priestess, and knew nothing of that more uncommon part of the rumor. But as the assassin could only watch through her own eyes, the priestess forced her to turn her katars on her own wizard. He was jolted back to human form, but it was too late.

The priestess lost control of Rusalki's mind, and clearly sooner than she'd expected to. Rusalki cloaked immediately, and headed straight for the mentally-invasive woman, but the blue-haired priestess was gone in the blink of an eye. She spun around just in time to see Alexander disappear in a flash of light as well.

Rusalki roared in a furious rage. She didn't care that they'd made her kill her wizard; she probably would have done that herself for his failure. But she so wanted to feel the man's neck snap in her hands. And the woman would feel the coldness of her blade.


	8. Demon & Night

**August 19**

**150. Demon**

"So where's the scariest place you've ever been?"

"You mean besides inside my own mind the other night?"

Drear let out an embarrassed chuckle. "Yeah, besides that, I guess."

"It had to be the clock tower in Al de Baran."

"Really?"

Naolin nodded. "I mean, that lab in the Payon Forest, it was a pretty creepy trip. And coming face to face with the Wanderer was no picnic – that guy was _ugly_."

"You said that demon was the same one you killed in the Al de Baran tower though, right?"

Naolin hesitated before nodding, deciding not to correct his brother's mistake just yet. "And it was only a small part of what made that place so terrifying. You know, there wasn't a creature down there that couldn't have ended my life with one lucky shot."

Naolin smiled smugly at Drear's wide-eyed look. He'd been appropriately respectful of his older brother's amazing adventures from the last few years.

"Why did you even go in there then?" the younger swordsman questioned. "You couldn't have been there to train."

Naolin's smirk disappeared. He almost didn't want to tell him; the adventure would lose some of its intrigue. On the other hand, running into a dangerous place like that for no reason other than to waste some potions and fly wings just sounded stupid.

"It was Missy," he finally said.

"She was down there? Why?"

"Well, don't tell her this – _ever_ – but I think she was just looking for a reason to make me come rescue her."

Drear's face conveyed his confusion, and a little bit of shock.

"No, the truth is…when her dad died, she took it pretty hard. She had a rough week, and ended up wandering into a random warp portal. Wasn't paying attention, I guess."

"How long ago did this happen?" Drear asked quietly.

"Oh…about eight months or so."

Naolin never specified what he'd found the most frightening about those hours in the clock tower. It wasn't the orcs or the penomenas, or any demons he found, including his old friend "Garrett." It was the stabbing fear that he wouldn't find Missy, or that he'd be too late, or that he'd find her, but fail her…which was almost what happened. But Drear didn't need to know all of that.

* * *

**August 20**  
**125. Night**

The fact that Naolin's day and night were backwards wasn't lost on Missy. For the last two days, since he'd been poisoned, he slept in the afternoon and was awake all night. She had no idea why.

So far, she and Drear had kept the same schedule. It wasn't hard; after being up all night, all three of them had crashed the next day. But it just wasn't feasible to continue this way. But when she mentioned it to her friend, his response surprised her.

"Yeah, I, uh…I can't."

"What? Can't what?"

He looked her directly in the eye when he answered, seeming to have no desire to hide anything. She attributed that to her caginess last week that had caused such a rift between them. "I'm not closin' my eyes if I can't open them in the light."

She was still confused, but didn't even have to ask.

"Missy, you have no idea what it was like in there."

"_In there_?" she echoed. "In where, the Orc Dungeon?"

"No," he shook his head for emphasis. "Well, partly. Honestly, I don't know exactly."

So much for not hiding anything. "Naolin, if you don't want--"

"No, it's not that. It's just hard to talk about, mostly because I don't remember much. From the point when the zenorc knocked me out, to waking up with you there…I mostly just recall the panic and the darkness. And the darkness kind of bred a feeling of despair."

Missy remained silent, mostly because she could think of nothing to say.

"Now that I've had time to think about it with a comparatively sane mind, I realize that it was night that was causing the darkness, and before that, it was the cave. But without the ability to make a rational thought…. Missy, I really did think it would be dark forever."

She wasn't used to seeing him like this, so exposed and emotional. He used to be so good at hiding this part.

"You know," he continued, so quietly that she was almost certain he wasn't really talking, "when I first woke up, the light was the first thing I saw. But I quickly realized that there was something in that room that I'd missed even more."


	9. Telephone & Pineapple

**320. Telephone  
August 21**

Missy stood outside of the inn in Geffen, squinting in the mid-August sun. She habitually dropped a bottle of apple juice from breakfast on the ground next to her as she waited for Naolin. Digging into her bag, she pulled out a dark purple ribbon. Holding onto it with her teeth, she reached up and pulled her white hair together, tying it into a ponytail to get it off of her neck. It was something she rarely did, partly because it wasn't normally long enough. She'd have to remember to have her mom cut her hair the next time she was home.

"Morroc," she heard Naolin saying behind her.

She turned to see both him and Drear coming out of the inn.

"You could come with us, though I can't really say how long we'll be there, or where we'll go next."

"Yeah, I think I'll just stick around here. I've been training in the tower here, and I think I should get back in there."

"Okay." Naolin noticed Missy standing there and smiled at her. "You ready to go?" he inquired.

She nodded. He looked reluctant to leave just yet. Missy knew that seeing his brother after all this time had meant a lot to him. despite his solitary nature, she'd learned over time that he was very loyal to those he considered family or close friends. Drear seemed to be the only family he really claimed. However…

"Alright then," the older swordsman said, patting the pouch that held his emperium. "Drear," he started, then paused. "We've gotta get you a com-disc."

"Oh, hey, I heard about those things. They're like, some kind of communication…"

"Disc," Missy finished for him.

"Ohh, I get it." He laughed self-consciously. "Yeah…I should figure out how to get one."

"You can get one in any city, from the town halls," she informed him. "But they're pretty expensive."

"We'll get you one," Naolin assured him quickly.

Missy knew, he wasn't one for writing letters. But he wanted contact with his newly found brother, and the disc would be perfect. Money had never been very important to Naolin, and she knew he'd give every zeny he had to Drear until he had enough for that disc.

After they'd said goodbye to Drear, Missy looked over at Naolin as they headed out of town and smiled. He noticed.

"What?"

"Nothing," she answered, looking away. She couldn't tell him what she was thinking; she barely knew herself. Once again though, she'd been given a reminder of why she'd begun to care for him so much. When she looked over again, he was still looking at her.

"What?" she echoed his previous inquiry.

"I kinda like your hair like that," he said. A smile began to spread across his face as he turned to look straight forward again. "I can see more of your face this way."

* * *

**47. Pineapple  
August 22**

"So how long ago did you form the guild?" the young mage asked as he took a bite of bread.

"Yesterday," Naolin replied. The only reason he'd agreed to meet with Sarif in the pub of Morroc for lunch was because in the afternoon at least, it was somewhat quiet. He'd make sure he and Missy were gone well before dark, when things around here tended to become a bit more unpleasant.

"Oh. You sure you're ready to be bringing in new members then?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well, I don't know for sure what is involved, but I assume there would be some work to do to be ready for members."

Naolin glanced at Missy, hoping that somehow she could clear up what this man was going on about.

She chuckled. "Don't look at me; I'm just a member myself."

He sighed inaudibly. This might become a problem. Looking back at Sarif, he said, "I've read through most of the book; there doesn't seem to be much to it just yet. There will probably be a lot more work involved once we're ready to get into the War of Emperium."

"The War of what?" the mage asked.

Drawing on what patience he could muster, Naolin briefly explained what little he knew about the event, and Sarif listened with rapt attention.

"And you plan to enter this guild?"

Naolin chuckled. "We'll need a few more members, but we have time."

All three ate in silence for a minute.

"What is this, anyway?" Missy wondered, referring to a round, thin slice of pale yellow food on the end of her fork.

Naolin shrugged. "Supposed to be the 'fruit of the day.'" He picked up a piece from his own plate and bit into it, surprised by the tart taste of the juice that flowed down his throat. "I've never tasted anything like it. It must not be native to Rune-Midgard."

After sampling it herself, Missy made a disgusted face. "I don't really like it. It's too sweet."

"So I'd be your first mage," Sarif abruptly continued the previous conversation.

Somehow Naolin had assumed the boy would understand that the guild would have very few members, having only been created a day ago. Rather than giving the sarcastic remark that was on his tongue now, he simply replied, "Yes."

"Sounds good," the mage said, nodding slowly.

He took another bite of food, and the swordsman watched him, trying to decide if that meant he was agreeing to join, or if he was simply remarking on the guild's current class make-up.

"What is this stuff?" Sarif questioned, holding up a piece of the same fruit Naolin and Missy had just been discussing.

Naolin wondered if it would be worse for Collegato to have this moron associated with it, or for him to turn down their first potential member.


	10. Expensive & Funeral

_A/N: The following few "chapters" have all been written for a while now. I didn't post them before, because they weren't in order with the timeline, and at the time, I thought I might go back and fill in the blanks so I could post them in order. That's not going to happen; I definitely won't be finishing the Prompts exercise. It served its purpose anyway. However, I figure I might as well post the rest that I had written (there are 10), so here they are. They won't even all be in order of each other, but I figure the actual dates don't really matter to anyone but me anyway. So here's a couple:

* * *

_**October 10  
54. Expensive**

"So how did you swing this?" Missy asked him, referring to the slotted manteau he'd given her for her birthday.

He knew she'd wanted to ask him months ago when she first received it, but she hadn't. Apparently the recent drop in temperature that prompted her to start using it more also reactivated her curiosity on the matter.

He only shrugged in response to her question though. What fun was it to let her know how much he'd worked for it?

He had saved up for a long time. It was unusual for him, really, as he tended to spend zeny pretty quickly after he got it. In fact, he'd even worried that she would notice his lack of purchases at the time. So much so, that he'd still spent his usual amount of time pretending to shop, and hoped she wouldn't realize he wasn't buying anything.

Then there were the evenings that he'd spent hanging out in the tool dealer's shop, doing research. He wanted to get an idea of what items were worth more to the dealer. It was no coincidence that they'd ended up training in a new area soon after that. Overall, it was not the safest place for them, and Missy ended up using more potions than normal, but she never complained or even questioned him.

And the end result was well worth the extra effort. The slotted manteau was expensive – the most costly thing he'd ever purchased, or ever expected to purchase – but she deserved it. She was his best friend, practically his only friend, and just about the only person who he could stand to be around for long periods of time.

And it looked great on her.

* * *

**November 28  
304. Funeral**

Missy and Naolin sat near the back of the church. The priestess was at the front, wearing a full-length black coat over her purple robes. Missy hadn't seen the woman's head raised once so far. She could only imagine what Selunya was going through. Then again, she very much wanted _not_ to imagine it.

She was glad they'd come into the church just as the funeral started. She didn't really want to see the body in the coffin. She almost felt like they shouldn't be here, like they were somehow crashing the funeral. They'd barely known him, after all. Just happened to see the funeral announcement on the church's bulletin board.

It was actually Naolin's idea to attend, which had surprised her. Missy wondered if he felt as indebted to the late knight as she did. Perhaps more so. It was Naolin's life that Aeldrim had helped to save. He and Selunya.

Without a word of discussion, Missy and Naolin left as soon as the service ended. Somehow, it just didn't seem right to be here, involved in this. They barely knew him.

Missy decided she'd write Selunya a letter, offering her condolences. For all she knew, the woman wouldn't even remember who she was.


	11. Neighbors & Mowing the Lawn

**October 31  
22. Neighbors**

"Well? What do you think?"

Jonathan's eyes gleamed as he proudly stood in front of the run-down building.

"I think it's a wreck," Naolin stated bluntly.

The blacksmith sighed. "You would. Missy," he pointedly addressed the merchant, "how about you?"

Missy glanced at Naolin, who wasn't trying to hide the smirk on his face. "Well, it will take some fixing up. But it's the only place for sale that's in our price range."

"So we'll fix it up!" Jonathan proclaimed exuberantly. "Just wait 'till you see inside; it's perfect for a blacksmithing shop."

He went through the door, and Naolin moved to follow, but Missy hesitated. Naolin saw this and stopped.

"You okay?"

She didn't answer right away, though he certainly already knew what she was thinking about.

"How could my mom agree to this so easily? How can she be so willing to just up and leave her home?"

"It was your idea in the first place," Naolin pointed out.

"But I didn't mean it!"

He almost chuckled, but caught himself.

"It's just…she was practically living in Prontera anyway. The house was barely being used."

"And Jonathan seems thrilled with the idea of working in the capital city."

"Yeah," she agreed.

The blacksmith had only had a minor hesitation at the thought of moving out of Bramen's original shop. But he seemed to feel that it would be a good change. After all, he was Jonathan, not Bramen.

"Missy," Naolin moved closer to her, lightly touching her arm. "It's just a building. Everything in it will be here anyway. There's nothing that old shop can offer you anymore."

She looked at him, knowing he was right. But knowing it and accepting it were two different things. It was easier when he gave her that gentle look though.

They were interrupted by someone yelling nearby.

"Howdy folks!" A man was coming toward them from the direction of the house next door.

Both Missy and Naolin turned to look at him, though neither returned his greeting right away. Naolin was simply not the sociable type, and Missy's mind was still caught up a bit in the unhappiness of the move.

Fortunately for both of them (not that Naolin cared one way or the other), the friendly blacksmith came back out of the building just then.

"Hey, what happened to you guys?" He noticed the man who'd come to greet them. "Hello, sir, you must be our new neighbor."

"You all moving in here or something?"

"Something like that," Jonathan replied. "This is our guild's new blacksmith shop."

The man nodded in response.

"That won't be a problem, will it?" Missy inquired, her brain catching up to what was going on now. "I know it can get kind of loud, but we'll maintain proper hours, I assure you."

He was still nodding.

Missy glanced at Naolin, then over to Jonathan. She didn't really know whether to take that as a yes, or if he was mulling over what she'd said, or if perhaps he was a little…off.

Jonathan walked up to the man, extending his hand in greeting. "My name's Jonathan."

The man smiled and shook the hand. As loudly as the first words they'd heard him say, he replied, "Name's Grant."

Upon seeing the startled looks on his new neighbors' faces at his loud voice, he seemed to suddenly remember something. His hands reached up to his ears and pulled something small and white out of them.

"Sorry about that," he chuckled. "My son is practicing to become a bard someday. I don't have the heart to tell him that they'll never accept him with that voice."

Naolin choked on his laughter, and Missy couldn't help but smile as well.

"I guess we don't have to worry about the noise bothering him," Jonathan quipped.

* * *

**November 1  
30. Mowing the Lawn**

Missy walked into the backyard to find her mom with a man Missy wasn't familiar with. He was wearing the beige robes of a wizard. Before the merchant could approach her mom and inquire about the stranger, Jayde suddenly rushed toward the house. As she passed Missy, she grabbed her arm and pulled her along.

"Mom, what are you doing?" Missy cried as she was dragged along.

The answer came in the form of a spell cast by the wizard. First, he used _Sight_, a spell that Missy was somewhat familiar with. Then, the orange ball of light that raced around him suddenly split and flew out in all directions around him. The top of the grass in a clear circle around him was singed.

Jayde loosened her grip on her daughter, who then ran to the wizard as he moved over a few feet, recasting _Sight_.

"Whoa, whoa!" Missy called as she reached the man, waving her arms to help attract his attention. "What on earth is going on here?"

He pointed to her mom, who was still standing where Missy had left her. "Ask her, she hired me."

"Fine, just don't…" She glanced at the ball of fire that was circling him, cringing. "Don't do that again. I'll be right back."

She hurried back to her mom, pulling her into the house in a fashion similar to how Jayde had just handled her.

"Why is that man burning our yard, Mom?"

"There is a family coming to look at the house tomorrow; I want to make sure it's presentable."

Missy waited for more explanation, but it didn't seem to be coming on its own. "And?" she pressed.

"And the grass needed a trim," her mom finished nonchalantly.

"A trim? You're liable to burn the house down!"

"I'm sure that man knows what he's doing." She turned her back to Missy.

"Mom…"

"I've got a lot to do, Missy. I've barely even started packing, the whole house could use a good cleaning, and I haven't even touched your father's shop."

"Mom--"

"Oh, I know it's not _his_ shop anymore."

"No, Mom, that doesn't matter. But listen, don't worry about the shop. Jonathan will take care of that. And I'll help you with everything else."

"You're so busy," Jayde said quietly.

"Mom, I'm sorry I've been gone so much lately. I think I've been avoiding all of this for the same reason that you've thrown yourself into it so hard."

Jayde turned to face her daughter again, and Missy could read the look on her face before she even spoke.

"I know, I know. It was my idea; I do remember. And I still think it's the smart thing to do. But that doesn't mean I enjoy it." She gave her mom a quick hug. "Stay here, I'll be right back."

Outside, she approached the wizard. "You're done here."

He didn't move. "The lady owes me for the one spell at least."

"Owes you? As in money?"

"That was the deal," he smirked.

"You're not getting a single zeny for this mess!" Missy was losing her temper, and she knew it wasn't all this man's fault. But she couldn't control it. "You were stupid to go along with this lunacy in the first place, and especially for taking advantage of a--" She stopped herself right before calling her mom a "crazy old woman". She took a deep breath, and started over. "My mother is in a very emotional state right now. You should have known better. You're definitely not getting paid for scorching our yard."

The wizard shrugged and left, and Missy walked back into the house to help her mom pack their life and memories into boxes.


	12. Rescue

_A/N: For anyone who remembers Aeldrim and Selunya from "Disconnected," here's a bit more on them. It also ties in with the prompt in the 365 series here entitled "Funeral."_

* * *

"I still don't understand why we had to walk to Comodo," Aeldrim grumbled as he sheathed his sword. He and his fiancée started walking along the sandy path, leaving the small, pale green body of a frilldora behind.

"I told you," Selunya answered cagily.

"No, you didn't. I asked, but you changed the subject. You're good at that."

The priestess chuckled.

"So, why didn't we buy a warp?" Aeldrim pressed.

"Walking is good for you."

The knight eyed his fiancée skeptically. He was in great physical shape; his chosen class usually required that of its members. His aversion to walking was mostly how boring it tended to be…unless, of course, it was a romantic stroll with his beautiful priestess. She was clearly not in the mood for that right now.

"And the reason that we've never walked from town to town in all the times we've traveled together, and chose this trip to do so in no way relates to the subject of the excursion," he guessed.

It wasn't that she'd really expected him to believe her ridiculous reasoning. Selunya had been hoping to avoid having this discussion once again. Now that he'd brought it up, though…

"Ael, that woman hates me! I tend to dread going to visit someone when I know I'm going to be sniped at the whole time, and--"

"Mom doesn't hate you, Sel," Aeldrim interrupted her before she could repeat the same frustrated rant he'd already heard numerous times. This was the first time she'd gone as far as to claim the woman's hatred. "She just has to get used to the idea of her only son getting married."

"She wasn't exactly kind to me before we got engaged either," Selunya griped.

He slipped his arm around her, hoping to calm her down a little. "That's because she could sense how perfect you are for me from the moment she met you. She knew there could be no other end result than our marriage."

Selunya smiled, and he could feel her relax a little against his arm.

"We won't stay too long, okay? My dad's birthday is tomorrow, so we won't even let them know we're in town until the afternoon. Then we'll join them for supper, and go back to Prontera."

He looked over to watch her face turn from a smiling agreement to confusion, then straight into horror. "Oh!" she cried, covering her mouth with her free hand. She was looking to the north, off the path and into the spotty grass that grew in the sandy soil.

At first, the only thing Aeldrim saw was the green, bumpy back of an anolian. He wasn't sure what Selunya had been so upset about; it was nothing they hadn't seen before. It hadn't even noticed the two of them yet, which made his job that much easier. It was moving away as he stepped toward it, then suddenly it stopped and turned.

Selunya whimpered, and Aeldrim now saw what had distressed her. The anolian had a lump of fur clenched between two rows of sharp teeth. It still took the knight a few seconds to process what it was, but Selunya recognized the captured prey quickly.

"It's a wild rose," she informed him quietly.

The anolian turned north again, and started moving away from them, stepping carefully through the soft earth.

"How gruesome," he mused. "Come on," he prodded her gently. "No reason to stick around until that thing decides it wants more for dinner than what it's got."

Selunya felt the hand on her arm, but her focus was on the paw of the wild rose that had just moved. "Ael, she's alive!" she whispered urgently.

"Who's alive, the wild rose?"

"Yes!"

"That's sad," he replied unconvincingly. "Let's go!"

Selunya moved, but not toward him. She took a step closer to the anolian instead.

"Honey, what are you doing?" he questioned her warily.

She didn't answer him, but she knew he'd figure it out soon enough. From behind her now, Aeldrim saw the priestess's arm movement, and knew. Suppressing the urge to berate her action, he drew his sword and rushed to her side, mentally cursing the sand for slowing his steps.

When the _Holy Light_ hit the anolian in the back of the neck, it did not drop the injured creature, as Selunya had hoped it would. The reptile only stopped and turned, growling a guttural, hair-raising growl.

Aeldrim stepped between Selunya and the anolian, expecting an attack. The beast scrambled away from him, still emitting its warning through clenched teeth.

Amidst the continuous din, Selunya heard the pathetic mewling of the wild rose. Somehow her mind associated the dying cat with a helpless novice falling victim to the unsuspected hatching of a previously innocuous pupa. Her hands instinctively clasped in front of her as she desperately tried to help the cat.

Unfortunately, even Aeldrim could see that even though the warm, green light enveloped the target as it should, the healing spell had not helped. As long as the razor-sharp teeth were cutting through its flesh, the wild rose could not be healed. The spell did, however, have an affect of a different kind.

The anolian had now decided the priestess was worth putting off its meal to kill. Still unwilling to drop that meal, though, it was limited to fighting with its claws, which were just as deadly. The monster's initial charge at the priestess was blocked by the flat part of Aeldrim's blade. The follow-through of his swing sent the anolian spinning backwards a few feet. The wild rose screeched in agony as its captor bit down harder on it.

"Aeldrim, it's killing her!" Selunya cried.

Driven by his fiancée's urgency, the knight ran to the anolian, raising his claymore high above his head. With all of his strength, he brought the sword down, bashing his enemy's skull with the hilt. The anolian stood still for a few seconds, stunned, but still did not drop the cat.

_What's it take?_ Aeldrim pondered, frustrated with the whole situation by now.

Another whine from the wild rose brought another plea from Selunya.

_Enough_. Aeldrim took a step away and shifted his weight for another mighty attack. He felt a surge of power course through him, which he knew could be attributed to Selunya, and he swung his sword at the anolian at the same time that the anolian lunged at him. The claymore caught its victim in the left shoulder, and sliced clean through to just below the right of the jaw.

The head slid to the ground on the side next to the body, which slowly toppled backward, sinking into the sand a little. Without the muscles keeping the jaw clenched, the goal was accomplished; the wild rose was able to escape from its toothy cage. It was very weak, though, and blood was now beginning to flow from the punctures the anolian had made. Selunya quickly healed it again, and it looked around in surprise. She giggled in a mixture of relief and endearment as it stared at her with bright, wide eyes.

Aeldrim took the opportunity to look around them now. They were off the path, though not by a lot. Not far to the north, there seemed to be an outcropping of rock, or perhaps a valley. He didn't have time to look further. More anolians were beginning to approach – one from the west, three from the east.

The three from the east were noticeably smaller than the other, and than the one he'd just killed. Those three had come to find out what had happened to the food they'd been waiting for. Two of them and the one from the west headed for Aeldrim; the other one noticed the small animal that was distracted for the moment.

Selunya wasn't about to let the cat fall prey again, so she ran to its defense herself, grabbing the handle of the sword mace hanging from her belt. She aimed for the anolian's skull to cause as much pain as she could. She hit her mark, but the mace still only bounced off of the anolian's thick skin. She got the attention she wanted, though. Before the anolian could reach her, she quickly scooped up the cat, hoping it wouldn't claw her, and cast a protection spell around them with her free hand. She knew Aeldrim would help when he could, but since she'd caused this mess, she wasn't about to rush him.

Meanwhile, the other three anolians were closing in on Aeldrim. He needed to get them all on the same side of him, so he backed up a few steps, away from the priestess to the south, and waited. When the single beast from the east was close enough, he kicked it toward the other two. Then he backed up a few more steps. A nagging feeling in the back of his mind told him to mind his surroundings, but the three anolians a few feet away commanded his attention. He was also aware of Selunya's own fight, and knew he needed to help her as soon as possible.

First, he used _Bowling Bash_, which effectively pushed the leading anolian back into the two behind it, knocking all three down momentarily. He then used a skill on Selunya's anolian that was nothing more than a taunt, making it turn and come after him instead. It rushed past the three that were tripping over each other to get off the ground and back to the knight, and charged at Aeldrim with claws at the ready.

Of course, Aeldrim's armor would hold off the attacks for a while, at least as long as the beasts weren't smart enough to find its weak points. He gripped his sword tightly in anticipation, and glanced over at Selunya. She was holding the wild rose, which, for the moment, seemed to be willing to let her. The priestess looked up at him long enough to make eye contact, and he nodded at her. He trusted that she would understand what he was silently asking for, and she did.

She set the cat down, to free up her hands, and held them out in front of her. As quickly as she could, she cast every supportive spell she knew on her fiancé. She wasn't worried about him in this fight; he was an experienced fighter, and her healing skills would be more than sufficient. But it never hurt to be prepared.

One of the previously tangled up anolians hurtled itself at Aeldrim in an attempt to get back into the fight quickly, crashing heavily into his armor. The knight was knocked off balance, and stepped a few feet back, finding the ground there to be even less stable than he was. Behind him now was the outcropping of rock he'd noticed before, which was, in fact, a cliff. As Aeldrim tried to steady himself, the anolian pushed toward him even more, sending both of them over the side and down a sixty-foot drop.

Selunya watched the scene in horror, foreseeing the outcome only a few seconds too late. She ran towards the knight, screaming his name, but he disappeared off the earth before she could reach him.

* * *

The priestess sat in a chair in the brightly lit kitchen, staring forlornly at a cup of tea in front of her. The tea was cold, not that she'd actually noticed. Her mind was sluggish, and she had no desire to try to formulate clear thoughts. She just wanted to sit in silence, but the woman who was fluttering about the room was not making that easy.

"Oh, dear," she'd mutter to herself every few seconds. "Oh, dear." Sitting down on a chair at the same table as Selunya, she asked, "Are you sure he's dead? You didn't just take their word for it, did you? Did you even try--"

"Of course I did!" Selunya snapped at Aeldrim's mother. "You think I wouldn't do everything in my power to resurrect him, if I could? I cast the spell on him ten times! It was just too late…"

The woman's frame shook with new sobs, as her husband came to her side. He'd barely spoken a word since he'd heard the news of his son's death. _Happy birthday_, Selunya thought mournfully. She felt a little sorry for yelling. At least now the woman had a reason to hate her.

She had another reason too, though Selunya would never tell her. She would never tell her that her son's death had been Selunya's fault. She had risked their lives selfishly, and the worst possible thing had happened.

No, Aeldrim's mother didn't need that knowledge adding to her misery.


End file.
